"I would have lost that role if I hadn't been in shape, and if I hadn't had a lot of experience as a wrestler," Strode told the Pittsburgh Courier after the film's release, according to Slam Wrestling. The 6-foot, 4-inch Strode was a world-class decathlete with a body so toned that he posed nude for an exhibition of athletic portraits shown at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. An old black cowboy named Pompey ( Woody Strode) takes Hallie on a buckboard ride into the countryside where they regard the burned-out remains of Doniphon's cottage. Strode was next cast in Spartacus (1960) as the Ethiopian gladiator Draba, in which he has to fight Spartacus (played by Kirk Douglas) to the death. [31], Sheriff Woody of the Toy Story series of animated films is named after Strode,[32] as was the recurring character of the Santa Barbara Coroner in the television series Psych. 1951: The Lion Hunters; Bride of the Gorilla. In comparison, Ford had made combat documentaries for the Office of Strategic Services and had been wounded at the Battle of Midway, while Ranse star Stewart had been a bomber pilot who served with distinction. As the film opens, U. S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) arrives in Shinbone by the new railroad with his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) to attend the funeral of a man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). We both gotta be professionals. So why would actors put up with him? But Strode (who started his career in the early 1940s after a legendary athletic record at UCLA as a decathlete and a football star, and who died in 1994) is perfectly cast in the lead role as Rutledge and gives a powerful performance in one of the very few lead roles he ever played, among the 90+ films he appeared in, playing mostly supporting roles, sometimes even uncredited, during the early years of his film career. "Their actions on and off the field opened a door that allowed other people to follow.". Then, when the steeds had halted, he tried to pick a punch up with his younger co-star. Youd have thought I was marrying Lana Turner, they way Whites in Hollywood acted, he recalled. UsefulNotes/Notable Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age. He decided to stay in Europe. And I looked at Duke Wayne, and he was beaming like a cat that had just eaten the mouse And Duke came over, and said, Well, welcome to the club. Being married with two children, he needed steady work. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/WoodyStrode. "[13], In 1948 he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the AAFC, but was released before the season started,[14] whereupon he joined the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Interprovincial Football Union in Canada, where he was a member of Calgary's 1948 Grey Cup Championship team[15] before retiring due to injury in 1949. Strode hauled in a pass while a teammate lay on the grass at the far sideline, which left that receiver wide open on the next snap. Woody Strode Height, Weight & Measurements At 80 years old, Woody Strode height is 6' 4" (1.93 m) . As we got out of the L.A. area we found these racial tensions. In 1967 he attempted to produce his own film, The Story of the Tenth Cavalry but it was not made. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Because, in his very long career as a film director, starting in the silent era in 1917, until Seven Women (his final film in 1965), he made more than his fair share of classics which still stand the test of time, like The Informer, The Grapes of Wrath, The Quiet Man. He had many murders on his conscience, and much enjoyed using a leather bullwhip. Ford used him again in Two Rode Together (1962) but it was only a small part, as an Indian. Coliseum. Woody Strode was a Black Indian (his grandmother was Black Cherokee and his grandfather was Black Muscogee) and an outstanding athlete. I might have to kill you. He appeared in any number of other films, among them The Ten Commandments (1956). Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. | [2], He attended Thomas Jefferson High School in South East Los Angeles and college at UCLA, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Pas : USA "La diligencia" pelcula de pelculas de vaqueros y accin producida en USA. Yes, but there's more to it than that, and in John Ford's mind, gun ownership is very much an open question. . However, cinematographer William H Clothier later said: There was one reason and one reason only Paramount was cutting costs. This quartet struck a blow for racial inclusiveness in pro football as Black Americans sought it nationwide. Decathlete who also played football professionally in the CFL, and enjoyed a successful acting career. Strode had begun his association with Ford back in 1939, with an uncredited role in his classic western 'Stagecoach'. Wednesday, 1st March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. In 1980, Strode was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. Woody Strode was born in California. Born July 28, 1914, in Los Angeles, California, Woody Strode (Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode) was first of the star football athletes to become a successful film actor. But Rutledge faces it heroically and is not passive either, even breaking ranks and official orders to try to track down the evidence and the real killer who will clear him. When World War II broke out, Strode was playing for the Hollywood Bears in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League. After football, he went on to become a film actor, where he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Spartacus in 1960. And Duke came up to me one day and said, Hows it come that youve gone through this whole thing and youve never been at the bottom of the list? In the film, Strodes character recites the Declaration of Independence but apologizes for forgetting the phrase all men are created equal, a poignant line for the 1962 audience. It's clear they loved him. He had a small role in Star Spangled Rhythm (1942), as a chauffeur of Rochester (Edward Anderson) and could be glimpsed in No Time for Love (1943). John Ford put classic words in my mouth.". Though he made films in every genre, from dramas to historical epics, romances and even comedies, Ford has been justifiably associated with the western film and is considered one of the greatest and most influential directors in that genre, directing so many that Ford once said of himself, My Name is John Ford. (1978), Ravagers (1979), Jaguar Lives! And during the trial sequences, Ford frequently dims the courtroom lights, leaving only Rutledge lit, alone in the witness chair surrounded by darkness alone and helpless as many black men on trial have felt, accused of a crime they did not commit. At UCLA he was a track star, a football phenomenon and a performer on the Royce stage. The role set his Hollywood career in motion. (Whats a brother got to do to get some respect around here?). This man was the definition of a renaissance man, keep reading this article and you will understand exactly why. Look instead at a debate that continues between the lawyer and the farmer about guns. An offensive end, Strode caught four passes for 37 yards and bowed out of the NFL after 10 games. [20], He based himself in Europe from 1968 to 1971.[7]. Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. Woody played for the Los Angeles Rams after their move from Cleveland. As an athlete, he helped integrate the NFL. And I went on, and it went around the company: Stewart has never, hes always right up there., The day before the movie finished shooting, the cast was preparing to do the funeral scene. In Liberty Valance, a picture I did with Duke, Stewart recounted. by Merdies Hayes July 21, 2016 Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Strode (1914-1994) was one of the most prolific and reliable African American actors of a generation. He is killed and his death sparks a gladiator rebellion. He was both successful and a popular draw, but he gave up wrestling due to his popularity in motion pictures. They were married until her death in 1980 from Parkinson's disease. Strode landed a major starring role as an expert archer and soldier of fortune in the 1966 Western The Professionals. 20072023 Blackpast.org. There are different takes over why, including that he thought it was a better medium. Stoddard believes so firmly in the law that he is willing to lose his life for his principles. Additionally, the director kept mocking Wayne for not enlisting in World War II, which made the star feel guilty in his later years. Strode and Washington, an All-American in 1939, linked up the following year with the Hollywood Bears of the minor Pacific Coast Professional Football League. Posed for one of two paintings commissioned by, Reportedly, his favorite film from his career was, Played college football for the UCLA Bruins, the most integrated collegiate team in the nation in 1939, which included future NFL running back. Robinson played college football at UCLA before he shifted to baseball full time and made history. There is a purity to the John Ford style. In a long flashback involving most of the film, Ford recalls the events leading up to that day. An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. Additionally, the. I said, All right, where are the pluckers?" Then Strode realised, I was out in the world market with a bald head. John Ford has gone down as one of the greatest directors ever in film history. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City last year enshrined him in the Hall of Great Western Performers. Im glad you made it.. This story first appeared. "It's heart and guts. His composition is classical. It takes place in the town of Shinbone, in an unnamed territory that is moving toward a vote on statehood. But I must say I got a little smug about it. He died the following year at age 80. I've done everything but play an Anglo-Saxon. Woodrow Wilson Woody Strode (1914-1994) was one of the most prolific and reliable African American actors of a generation. Filmography - 1939: Stagecoach. His name was the only one of the four "professionals" that was left off of the movie poster; nevertheless, the film was a major box-office success that established him as a recognizable star. His wife is Tina Ellawee (10 May 1982 - 31 December 1994) ( his death), Luana Strode (14 October 1940 - 17 September 1980) ( her death) ( 2 children) Robinson debuted in the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, breaking the color barrier in that sport several months after his Bruins teammates reached the NFL. 1941:Sundown. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Following Cat Ballou (Oscar) this is one of 4 Westerns . His illiterate students include Hallie. After the war, Strode played briefly with the Los Angeles Rams and along with Washington became the first African Americans to play in the National Football League. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 80 years old group. If someone said, 'there's a Negro over there,' I was just as apt as anyone to turn around and say 'Where? 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